How to Build a Water Purification Unit

The human body consists of more than 60 percent water. Water is the element the body needs most. A human being can survive for over a month without food, but can only last about seven days without water. If a natural disaster strikes, you may be left without clean drinking water. In an emergency situation, it's important that you be able to have access to clean water or be prepared to filter your own water. Clean water is not only essential for keeping hydrated, but is also needed for personal hygiene, cleaning dishes and food preparation. Water that has not been purified is not safe and may cause disease, which in some cases lead to death. A home-made water purification unit can easily be made with a few materials and be used during emergencies to filter water.

Things You'll Need

• Two five-gallon buckets with lids
• Gravel
• Charcoal
• Excelsior
• Sand
• 1/2-inch drill motor
• Food-grade plastic tap

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Instructions

• 1

  Drill twenty 1/2-inch holes in the bottom of one of the five-gallon buckets. Drill the same number of holes in the top of the lid for the second bucket. Make sure the lid holes align with the holes of the bottom of the first bucket.

• 2

  Drill 1/2-inch hole in the side of the second bucket. This will be used to attach the tap through which to pour water.

• 3

  Attach the food-grade plastic tap to the 1/2-inch hole in the second bucket. Make sure the threaded end fits in the hole properly, so there is no leaking of water. Tighten the nut on the tap.

• 4

  Pour a two-inch layer of gravel in the first bucket, which is your filtration bucket.

• 5

  Pour a two inch-layer of charcoal over the gravel.

• 6

  Place a two-inch layer of sand over the charcoal.

• 7

  Pour another layer of charcoal over the sand. Alternate layers of charcoal and sand in this manner until you have three layers of charcoal and sand.

• 8

  Pour two inches of excelsior---wood fiber---material on top. This is your last layer. The bucket should be halfway full with your filtration materials.

• 9

  Place the perforated lid over the second bucket. Place the first bucket on top of it. Make sure the holes are aligned with the holes in the bottom of the first bucket.

• 10

  Pour water into the first bucket and allow it to filter through all the materials into the second bucket, your collecting bucket.